TAKEAWAYS: Braves Rally Late, Hold Lead in Extras to Secure Road Sweep of Astros

The Atlanta Braves went into Minute Maid Park and beat the Houston Astros like it was the 2021 postseason all over again

Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia watches a batted ball against the Houston Astros. / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves held on to beat the Houston Astros in extras, 5-4, and secured the series sweep in Minute Maid Park on Wednesday afternoon.

Here’s what you need to know about from the contest.

Max Fried didn’t have the pinpoint control today

Fried, a pending free agent, has had some weird outings to open the year - going only 2/3rds of an inning against Philly, getting tagged for six runs in the first inning against Arizona, and then rebounding with six and a third innings of one-run ball against Miami. 

Today was another perplexing one - Fried went five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out only two. He gave up a first-inning homer to Yordan Alvarez and threw only 52 of his 96 pitches for strikes, a strike percentage (54.1%) almost ten percent below the MLB average for a starting pitcher. 

Fried used everything today, throwing five different pitches at least 11% of the time and throwing three sliders as a 6th pitch. The lefty only got eight whiffs on 43 swings, a paltry 19%, and finished with a 18% CSW for the game. It’s honestly amazing that he only allowed three runs in the outing, but he was able to hold Houston to only a 1-for-6 mark with runners in scoring position. 

Ronald Acuña Jr. turned the power back on

The Braves rightfielder, fresh off of a 41-homer campaign that helped him capture the 2023 NL MVP award in a runaway, hadn’t hit a homer on the 2024 season entering today. He finally got off the skid to open the 5th inning, depositing a J.P. France sweeper 422 feet to the center field seats. 

Ronnie rocket! 🚀#BravesCountry | @ronaldacunajr24 pic.twitter.com/rOd11ZcRDz

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 17, 2024

And not only is taking until the team’s 17th game weird for Ronald, it’s pretty rare in baseball history. 

Per MLB Network researchers, Ronald’s 65 at-bat stretch before his first homer was the 5th-longest stretch to open the season for a player coming off of a 40-homer season. 

2022 Marcus Semien - 173 at-bats 
1962 Rocky Colavito - 100 at-bats
2007 Alfonso Soriano - 74 at-bats
1997 Frank Thomas 74 - at-bats

Interestingly, Soriano also struggled coming off of a 40/40 season; he finished 2006 with 46 homers and 41 steals. 

The 9th-inning Braves showed up early 

Atlanta’s put up multiple runs in the ninth inning of the first two games of this series - their seventeen 9th inning runs entering today led all of baseball. 

Well, that same thing happened today, but one frame early. Atlanta put up two runs on reliever Ryan Pressly in the 8th inning to tie the game at four. They couldn’t score in the 9th, though, as Josh Hader got revenge for Monday by striking out the side, with the game eventually going to extras. Atlanta would pick up a run on an Orlando Arcia single and go on to hold the lead, with Raisel Iglesias coming in for his fifth save of the season. 

Orlando for the lead!#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/iEJv8f1U1M

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 17, 2024

What’s next for the Atlanta Braves?

Atlanta’s off on Thursday before starting a weekend homestand against the World Champion Texas Rangers. First pitch on Friday evening is scheduled for 7:20 PM ET on Apple TV+, with Saturday’s 7:20 matchup being on Bally Sports South and Sunday’s 7:10 series finale on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. The Braves have announced their starters for the weekend as LHP Chris Sale (Friday), RHP Charlie Morton (Saturday), and RHP Darius Vines (Sunday). Texas has not yet released their rotation plans.